Chicago! At last! (warning: long post)

Going to Chicago is like a special pilgrimage for me, since my favourite movie (the Fugitive, 1993) takes place almost exclusively in this city. It also happens that it is not that kind of movie that the setting is anonymous throughout (like in I, Robot, cough* cough*, Vancouver), but you are constantly reminded that the story is set in Chicago from beginning to end. Before I even set foot in the US for the first time, I already know the L, Cook County Hospital, Hilton Chicago, the Picasso, and the St. Patrick's Day parade by heart. So it feels super weird to stand on Wells Street Bridge and not see the Illinois Bell pay phone...like, it is supposed to be there, am I even in the correct Chicago? 

Anyways, meeting fellow sketchers and admiring other's works aside, just being able to walk freely around the Chicago downtown and linger on the bridges as long as I wanted already felt like a privilege. My first trip to Chicago, unfortunately, was a whirlwind 2.5 day stay almost entirely spent in McCormick Center attending a trade show. There was a mandatory pizza shop visit, but the majority was either spent stuck in traffic, or in doors in the convention center. Heck we didn't even get to stay at a downtown hotel because the travel plan was so last minute. The Uber driver this time rightfully laughed at me when I admit I didn't even get to see Lake Michigan last time, granted the convention center literally sits on its shores. 

That horrible trip (okay, in terms of work it was highly productive) behind me, I started anew in the city proper... with a sleepless night. Honestly it is one of the rare occasions that I actually have trouble falling asleep without the influence of jet lag. Maybe it was the unfamiliar ventilation noise of the building? or the lights from the building next door? or the excitement of finally being able to come face-to-face with the familiar city that I've been watching again and again since high school? Whichever reason, it was a sleepless night for me and a shaky start to a 3-day sketching marathon.

Day 1

Started the day right in the middle of the financial quarter. I was pleasantly surprised to see many available places to sit in front of buildings, unlike the cramped SF downtown. What's best, the streets are almost spotlessly clean!

From the 2nd sketch, I was already distracted by bridges. This just so happened to be the first I ran into (at this point, I had absolutely no idea that Chicago downtown is surrounded by bridges!) This particular one is I-290, not in the Loop per se, but very close.

After an unsuccessful nap after lunch back at the Airbnb (still couldn't properly fall asleep), I struggled to stay alert in the blazing afternoon sun. Whilst walking to the designated point at DuSable Bridge, I was distracted by the strange buildings in the distance. Turns out they are the Wrigley Building (pointy one on the left) and Tribune Tower (one w/ arches on the right) They'd fit right into a historical neighbourhood, yet somehow they are here among the sky-scrappers...and they themselves looked like ancient buildings on pedestals lol. The 3 statues are in fact on this side of the river.

Then comes the classic, DuSable Bridge (Michigan Avenue Bridge) The afternoon sun was so bright I hid in the shadows of the overpass. The variety of bridges is a nice change from the SF Bay Area. Both are surrounded by bodies of water, but the bay is too wide to have more than a handful bridges built across it...

After deciding that I have not had enough of the bridges (even though it is already nearing dinner time), I went ahead to sketch two more towards the edge of town (top picture). I really cannot convince myself to walk away from a nicely casted shadow (like the one on the Sheraton). In the front, North Columbus Drive Bridge. In the back, North Lake Shore Drive Bridge.

Day 2

The USk listed Printer's Row as the morning drawing destination. Having had a fully loaded day before (probably my most prolific drawing day to date), I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow... and of course, refuse to get up when awoken by my morning alarm. It is a historical, but tidy and quiet neighborhood surrounded by impressive brick buildings. I really cannot stop admiring brick structures because they're just so rare on the west coast! Plus the strong shadows they cast on one another is right up my alley!

In the afternoon I went back to Wells Street Bridge wanting to sketch some movie-related scene. Unfortunately I couldn't find any to my liking so I decided to stand on Wells Street Bridge and draw the bridge next door instead. This way at least I can put my drawing supplies on the handrail of the bridge. (Did I mention I had no stool so almost all my sketches this time were done standing up?)  The forest of skyscrapers were a little distracting, so I smudged up the paints a bit to put the focus back on the bridge... judging by the result, I may need to sharpen up my smudging skills a bit lol.

Day 3 - nothing because I spent my precious morning (1 hr total) at the Art Institute of Chicago... before stumbling my way onto the plane (probably as the 2nd last passenger) 

All in all a productive trip! Really even I, coming from Vancouver, don't have any complaints about the weather that weekend. Long sunlight hours, mild breeze, gentle sun, and blazing sunset (which I am already used to) make a wonderful sketching destination. I missed the announcement that next year's location would be in Portugal (because I wanted to have dinner in peace and rest my overworked legs in the apartment), but man that would be a even loooonger journey. Hopefully this time I can actually attend the full event, and not jump in on the 3rd day all the while pretending I'm working from home. Also, note to self, stay away from the silent auction because it is for instructors to sell demo pieces lol.